The Ball dels Cossiers (

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #13 ...

for "Dance of the Cossiers") is the most popular traditional dance on the island of

Majorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest of the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain, and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, seventh largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. The capital of the island, Palma, Majorca, Palma, i ...

, in the

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Balearic Islands The Balearic Islands are an archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago forms a Provinces of Spain, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain, ...

. In the dance, three pairs of dancers, who are typically male, defend a representation of good, the "Lady," who is played by a man or a woman, from a

demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in folklore, mythology, religion, occultism, and literature; these beliefs are reflected in Media (communication), media including f ...

. Normally the dance is done in a circle, with the Lady in the center, although some more solemn dance troupes (such as La Oferta, the Mocadors, the Bandanas, or the Mercançó) deviate from this tradition. The ball dels cossiers is traditionally performed at festivals, fiestas, and other public events.

History

The ball dels cossiers has been found on Majorca since the 14th century, when it was brought to the island from

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following the Aragonian conquest of the island under King Jaime I. The earliest recorded evidence for the dance has been found in a 1544 manuscript in

Sóller Sóller () is a town and municipality near the north west coast of the Balearic Island of Mallorca, Spain, 3 km inland from Port de Sóller, in a large, bowl-shaped valley that also includes the village of Fornalutx and the hamlets of Biniara ...

. However, some scholars argue that the dance has its roots in pagan nature spirit worshiping rituals native to the island, and that the modern dance is a synthesis of these ancient rituals and relatively modern Catalan traditions. Because of

Francisco Franco Francisco Franco Bahamonde (born Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco Bahamonde; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general and dictator who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces i ...

's repression of

Majorcan Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest of the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain, and the seventh largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balear ...

and

Catalan culture Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #13 ...

, the dance all but disappeared during the 20th century. However, it began to be revived in 1962, when Spanish film director

José María Oliveira José María Oliveira Aldamiz was a Spanish film director. He was also one of the earliest Spaniards to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and the first stake president of the Madrid Spain Stake. Career Oliveira wo ...

began hosting performances at his hotel in Palma and supporting local dance troupes. This revival has continued into the 21st century, as tourists and local governments have developed an interest in the dance. However, it is still nowhere near as widespread as it once was, as the ball dels cossiers is only practiced in Palma and five other towns and villages on Majorca —

Manacor Manacor () is a town and Municipalities of Spain, municipality on the island of Mallorca, part of the Spanish Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. It is the second-largest town in Mallorca, after the capi ...

Alaró Alaró () is a small municipality in the district of Raiguer on Majorca, one of the Balearic Islands, Spain, Europe. History Alarò's origin dates back to the Islamic period. The documented history begins in the thirteenth century, during the rec ...

Algaida Algaida () is a municipality on the Spanish Balearic island of Majorca. It has an area of 89.70 km2 with 4,528 inhabitants (). Geography The municipality of Algaida is located in the south-east of the island of Majorca, 22 km along the ...

Montuïri Montuïri (, ) is municipality in central Majorca, one of the Balearic Islands, Spain. It is a small town built on a hill. Cyclist Gabriel Mas was born here. It is the birthplace of Macià Manera, ex-member of Terra Lliure Terra Lliure (, "Free ...

and

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References

{{reflist Culture of Mallorca Catalan folk dances